New York Times Writers Confront Publisher Over Folding Sports Desk Into The Athletic

The New York Times is facing a dramatic uprising from its writers over its consolidation with The Athletic.

After purchasing The Athletic last year in a $550 million deal, the Times made the controversial choice to shut down its sports desk entirely, folding it into the existing structure. And apparently the writers affected were not happy about it.

The New York Post reported that "staffers were left fuming" after a sit down meeting with Times chairman and publisher AG Sulzberger.

“The entire newsroom is outraged at how badly this has been handled and how poorly the sports staffers have been treated,” the Post reported.

The Times' plan would move around 40 sportswriters to other assignments, while The Athletic staff would handle daily sports coverage. According to the report, the sportswriters' new responsibilities mean their career plans and goals have been upended, and new assignments were decided without their consultation.

“AG was very composed ,” The Post report said. “He said ‘The Times faced a crossroads years ago and found ways to be innovative.’ He said: ‘We can’t be stuck in amber. We can’t keep trying to pursue this one model.'”

The New York Times Building in New York City on February 1, 2022. - The New York Times announced on January 31, 2022, it had bought Wordle, a phenomenon played by millions just four months after the game burst onto the Internet, for an "undisclosed price in the low seven figures." (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Drama At The New York Times

The decision to move sports coverage may have been more justifiable if The Athletic hadn't just laid off 20 writers.

READ: THE ATHLETIC LAYS OFF 20, REASSIGNS MORE AS NEW YORK TIMES-OWNED SPORTS MEDIA ENTITY REORGANIZES

But Times' reporters have a case that Sulzberger's decision was quick, shortsighted and handled poorly. That said, it's always enjoyable to see drama unfold at one of the country's most infuriating institutions.

Given how openly New York Times writers prioritize their political ideology, focus on the wrong stories or entirely refuse to tell others, expecting sympathy from the public isn't a winning strategy.

The Times and The Athletic have both brought this failure on themselves, with woke writers telling woke stories, for an increasingly smaller audience.

Now that they're paying the price for declining readership, their staff isn't happy.

Oh well!